Some of the biggest names in racing gathered at Clarence’s Steak & Seafood House on Monday, October 28, to pay tribute to Clarence Pickurel, a legendary car owner, driver and sponsor in Late Model Stock Racing.
At the tribute, Clay Campbell, president of the Martinsville Speedway, said he saw the admiration and respect everyone in attendance had for Pickurel.
“I told somebody earlier that in Late Model Stock Racing and in Modified Racing years ago, Clarence’s name is on par with the Petty name in Cup Racing. Now, if you’re a fan of Late Model Stock Racing (and) you hear that name Clarence, you know,” he said.
“I liken him to the Petty name. He has done so much for NASCAR’s weekly type racing, you can’t even begin to talk about it,” Campbell said, adding that Clarence’s Steakhouse is a landmark in the community.
Peyton Sellers, who was the first rookie to ever drive for Pickurel and currently drives his car, recalled, “We had some hard times. But he stuck it out with me and was very good to me.
“If I wrecked a car, he was always there to say, ‘look, I’m going to build you another car, let’s go race, you know, let’s get ready,’ Because we’d be wrecking them. He was building the good stuff,” Sellers said.
“In later years, he’s been sponsoring, we didn’t keep them in Martinsville, we kept them in Danville,” Sellers said. “It’s been an ongoing relationship that’s just family for us.”
Chris Williams, CEO of the SMART Modified Tour Series, said Pickurel’s tribute was a long time coming.
“Getting these heroes that have forged short track racing for a long time to come and honor Clarence, who has been in this thing for over 60 years. He started racing in the ‘50s and ‘60s and quit, and started putting other drives in the car.
“To be perfectly honest with you, he’s gave up a lot – sponsoring and owning racecars, but also, he’s forged these relationships with these drivers, who as you’ve seen, respect him a million times for it.”
In racing, Williams said it’s never about money, because “you’re not here to make money. You’re here to hoist trophies and building relationships, and that’s what these guys gave back to Clarence tonight, and it was really fun,” he said.
Pickurel said that racing, and the relationships he forged, has meant everything to him.
“It meant all of this to me – business wise and all,” he said of the event, which he would rank “right at the top with racing,” he said.
